Lesson 28: The Sub Plot — Make Yourself a Guest Teacher Schools Remember
Updated: 2 days ago
Build Your Skills. Demonstrate Your Value. Create Opportunities.
Focus Question: How can substitute teachers use SWAY tools to distinguish themselves professionally and offer something valuable to the schools they serve?
Learning Outcome: Develop a short professional introduction, prepare a menu of SWAY activities, and create a practical plan for sharing your skills with schools and colleagues.
You're More Than a Substitute
Let's give substitute teachers some credit.
You're expected to walk into unfamiliar classrooms, build relationships, follow another teacher's plans, and keep learning moving.
Sometimes you have plenty of preparation time.
Sometimes you don't.
And sometimes the students know more about the day's schedule than you do!
After 33 years in the classroom, I know how important a capable guest teacher can be.
But here's a question worth considering:
What if you could offer schools something beyond simply covering an absence?
That's the opportunity I see in the Sub Plot.
What Is the Sub Plot?
The Sub Plot is a SWAY Canada initiative that helps substitute teachers introduce practical learning activities when appropriate.
It draws on tools such as:
WAY Cards for participation and classroom organization.
CAP Notes for reflection and lesson summaries.
Game Cards for student-created questions and activities.
The WAY Game for curriculum review, teamwork, and creative challenges.
Digital resources and demonstration videos that support these activities.
You don't need to master everything.
Start with one tool, gain experience, and gradually build a collection of activities that work for you.
Lesson 27 explains how to prepare and use these tools.
This lesson is about making others aware of what you can offer.
Your Professional Advantage
I wouldn't suggest telling a principal that you can eliminate discipline problems or transform every classroom.
No teacher can guarantee those promises.
Instead, explain what you can actually do.
You can arrive prepared.
You can follow the regular teacher's instructions.
You can bring supplementary activities that connect to curriculum review.
You can encourage students to participate and reflect.
You can leave a useful report describing what was accomplished.
And you can share practical ideas with colleagues.
Your advantage isn't that you have a magic game. It's that you have additional tools and know when to use them.
Create Your Sub Plot Menu
Imagine a principal or classroom teacher asking:
"What makes your approach to substitute teaching different?"
Wouldn't it be useful to have a clear answer?
I suggest preparing a simple five-option menu.
1. WAY Cards Demonstration
Introduce random selection, participation, and team organization.
2. CAP Notes Activity
Help students summarize a lesson and reflect on what they've learned.
3. Game Card Workshop
Guide students in creating questions and activities based on curriculum content.
4. WAY Game Demonstration
Use a short video or sample activity to introduce the game and discuss its rules.
5. WAY Game Session
Facilitate a structured review game when the class, available materials, and teacher's instructions make it appropriate.
You might only use one of these activities during an assignment.
That's fine.
The point is to have something useful prepared.
How to Introduce Yourself to Schools
A professional introduction doesn't need to sound like a sales pitch.
It should communicate three things:
Who you are. What you can offer. How you support the regular teacher.
Here's an example you can adapt.
Sample Email to a Principal
Subject: Guest Teaching — Additional Classroom Learning Activities
Dear Principal,
I'm a substitute teacher who wants to contribute positively to the schools where I work.
In addition to following the regular teacher's lesson plans and classroom procedures, I've been exploring SWAY Canada, a collection of educational tools developed by retired Calgary teacher Brian McCarthy.
These include CAP Notes for lesson reflection, student-created Game Cards, and the WAY Game for curriculum review and teamwork.
When appropriate, I can offer short supplementary activities that encourage students to review their learning, create questions, and work together.
I'd welcome the opportunity to share these resources with interested teachers or demonstrate how they might be used during a substitute teaching assignment.
You can learn more about SWAY Canada at playway.ca.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name][Your Contact Information]
Notice what this message doesn't do.
It doesn't claim you're certified.
It doesn't promise dramatic improvements in behaviour.
It doesn't ask the school to abandon its established procedures.
It simply explains that you've developed additional skills and would welcome an opportunity to use them.
Let Your Work Speak for Itself
One of the best ways to build a professional reputation is through your work.
If you use a CAP Notes activity during an assignment, leave the regular teacher a short explanation.
If students create Game Cards, organize the work so the teacher can review it.
If a WAY Game goes well, explain what students reviewed and how they participated.
If something doesn't go well, be honest about that, too.
A thoughtful report demonstrates professionalism.
Over time, teachers and administrators may become familiar with your approach.
They may even ask you to return.
But remember that substitute assignments depend on school and district procedures. Using SWAY doesn't guarantee additional work.
Share Your Experience with Other Educators
You may also want to share what you're learning with colleagues.
A staffroom conversation could lead to an exchange of ideas.
A professional networking post could explain how you adapted a classroom activity.
A short demonstration at an approved staff meeting could introduce CAP Notes or Game Cards to interested teachers.
If you use social media, focus on your professional experience rather than making promotional claims.
For example:
I've been exploring SWAY Canada as a resource for guest teaching. One activity I find useful is having students create questions from a recent lesson. It gives them an opportunity to review what they've learned and think about what makes a good question.
That's more credible than claiming you've discovered a guaranteed solution to classroom management.
And remember: never share identifiable student information, classroom photographs, or student work publicly without the required permissions.
Could the Sub Plot Become a Professional Opportunity?
I believe substitute teachers can contribute beyond individual classroom assignments.
Some may eventually choose to help other educators learn these tools.
Others might develop workshops, assist with classroom projects, or support schools interested in the WAY Game.
These possibilities connect with SWAY Canada's broader TeacherPreneur initiative.
But start by building your skills and experience.
Demonstrate the value before trying to sell the idea.
If you eventually offer paid services, check the relevant school district policies, employment rules, and any requirements governing outside work.
The SWAY online learning resources are freely accessible. Participation does not make you a certified instructor or an official representative of SWAY Canada.
Your Lesson 28 Challenge
Create a one-page professional introduction.
Include the following:
1. My teaching strengths
What skills and experiences do I bring to an unfamiliar classroom?
2. My Sub Plot Menu
Which two or three SWAY activities am I prepared to demonstrate?
3. My professional promise
How will I respect the regular teacher's plans, classroom routines, and school procedures?
4. My evidence
How will I demonstrate what students accomplished during my assignment?
5. My next step
Who could I appropriately share these ideas with?
Keep it short enough that a principal or classroom teacher could read it in a minute.
A Final Thought
There are many ways to make a difference in education.
You don't have to be the regular classroom teacher.
You don't have to create an entirely new program.
And you certainly don't need to promise miracles.
Sometimes being prepared, bringing a useful idea, and giving students an opportunity to participate is enough to make the day worthwhile.
The Sub Plot invites you to develop those skills and share them with others.
Be the guest teacher who leaves something valuable behind.
Yours in Education,
Brian McCarthy
Retired Teacher and Founder, SWAY Canada
A SMART WAY to Learn, Earn, and Play
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